Inferential Patterns in the Translation of Financial Metaphors
113[7] Bad breath = tiene mal aliento, huele mal, huele, apesta [In this case, these
are literal metaphorical translations in Spanish, as they all have the same
meaning and can be used in this English sentence context].Finally, I would opt for a translation that would include both the
metaphorical and explicit uses: El [mercado] bajista huele mal [tiene mal
aliento] – literally: The selling market stinks (has bad breath).
However, before applying these or other translation solutions, we
should determine the linguistic formula that best responds to the source
language communicative context, and decide if we want a metaphorical, a
semi-metaphorical or a non-metaphorical translation. Consequently, other
possible translations – once different inferential phases have been
completed – might be:
[8] A full literal metaphorical translation: Los osos apestan [lit. Bears stink].
[9] A metaphorical translation using different words but keeping equivalent
meanings: Los bajistas imponen su ley [lit. Bears impose their rule/ get
their way].
[10] A semi metaphorical translation: Los mercados apestan (huelen mal) [lit.
Markets stink].
[11] A straight denotative translation: Los vendedores fuerzan los mercados a
la baja [lit. Sellers force markets to fall].Option [8] should be discarded as it would render a meaningless
Spanish sentence regarding financial communication. The metaphors used
in the Spanish translation would not activate the intended inferences in
Spanish readers who would only produce literal interpretations. Options
[9], [10] and [11] could be plausible translations and, in my opinion, both
[9] and [10] would reproduce, in Spanish target readers, most of the
original cognitive effects prompted in English users, while translation
[11], although linguistically correct, would miss pragmatic force due to the
absence of any figurative structure, and, therefore, would elicit a weaker
inferential response in Spanish-speaking receivers.
Translator’s cognitive effort: the degree of expertise
in source- and target-language specialist discourse
Once the issue has been identified and preliminarily discussed, we are
aware that the success or failure of a translation lies mainly in this
cognitive and pre-translation first stage. All our efforts will be wasted if
we make wrong cognitive decisions, if our inferential process does not
conform to the equivalent mental, linguistic and cultural source-text